Refugee
by Agent Frostbite
Summary: Padawan Rachel Starr is one of the few survivors of Order 66. Having escaped from the horrors of war and betrayal of her Master's troops, she now seeks refuge on a small, uncharted planet in the Unexplored Regions. She finds that she isn't the only one there, and while shaking her pursuer, she makes friends and possibly even family.
1. Exile

**A/N: Okay, so! This was a series I did a little while back, and (after getting the idea from** **CT7567Rules** **) I put it into a single document. I had a not-so-brief hiatus to Middle Earth and then Mount Ebott, but after getting the most recent Transformers movies for my birthday (go ahead, yell at me all you want, Bayverse was my door into this fandom, and I love the movies; sue me [actually no, don't, I'm a poor high school student with no job and no car please don't actually sue me]), I'm back in the fandom again! I'm also working on another project, a TFP/Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes crossover story, which dragged me back to – you guessed it – our lovely girl Rachel!**

 **I am gonna be altering this a bit, but I'm leaving the original one-shot versions of the story up, so you can see how they looked the first time around. That having been said, I'm planning on extending the Refugee-verse as a something like a TV series. I'll be doing it in seasons, with one story coming out (hopefully) every couple of weeks or less. Each 'season' is gonna have 18 episodes, and yes, I will be doing a cliffhanger at the end of the season (which I** _ **promise**_ **I'll write in its entirety** _ **before**_ **I publish it, so you won't be left on an awful month-plus-long period of cliffhanger).**

 **If, however, it doesn't take off like I'm hoping it will, then I'll simply release the cliffhanger ending as a series finale (but I hope this'll take off enough that I do another season). Feel free to comment/PM me with ideas for stories, arcs, or characters you'd like to see!**

 **Also (For no reason whatsoever), I calculated how many reads I have, and wow. WOW. 15,723 reads in almost a whole year of posting! That is amazing! I am blown away. Thank you all so, so much for all the reads, comments, reviews, everything! Thank you. I would never have gotten this far without you all.**

 **Now…on with the show!**

It was a quiet, warm afternoon in the desert town of Jasper, Nevada. Outside, the birds zipped by the closed window of the town's only high school, going on their merry way and not paying any attention to the students stuck inside as their teacher droned on and on about the history of a civilization called the Greeks. While most of the students were half asleep or distracted by their phones, the world outside, or passing notes to their friends, Rachel Starr was deeply interested. She'd been on planet for only a few weeks, and still had much to learn about the place.

The clock turned to 4, and most students immediately got up and began to pack everything away. Rachel didn't pack until the weary and annoyed teacher called "Class dismissed." Then she got her textbooks, notebooks, pens, and pencils, and put them in her backpack. She was pretty much the last one out. Not that she minded, of course. The blonde haired, blue eyed girl had no friends, nowhere to go, and nothing to do once she got home except study everything about everything on Earth.

She planned to take the bus home, like every other day, as she had no other way of transit – except walking, of course, and she wasn't about to walk the 10 or so miles to her place. She stepped on amongst the crowd of other students of all grades, taking a window seat near the back, like always. That's when she noticed one of the older kids pushing around a smaller one with red glasses and auburn hair.

The older one was Vince, and the teen had been trying to get a date with the blonde since she stepped foot in the school. The younger one she'd seen only a few times, and always with two others. One was Miko Nadakai, and everyone in school knew the Japanese student because she was called to the Principal's Office every other day. The other, she didn't know, but she did share a class with him.

The younger one's friends weren't there now, and the bus door was closing. If she didn't get off to help him now, Vince would have his way until the kid's friends showed up, and who knew when that would be. She'd not been trained to sit by when someone needed help, and old habits die hard. "Wait!" she called. She hopped up out of her seat and ran off the bus, marching over to Vince and his gang. "Hey!" she called as she strode up holding her backpack strap with one hand and letting the other swing as she matched. "Leave him alone, Vince."

Vince looked up, his characteristic smirk fading a little when he saw her. He let the younger student go without hesitation, even pretending to help by brushing him off. The tween swatted his arm away. Rachel was unimpressed with the act. "Oh, hey, Rachel," Vince greeted in as smooth a voice as he could manage. "Come to take me up on that offer for a ride?"

She fought back a scoff. "No, I came to keep you from bullying him," she replied somewhat harshly, nodding to the kid before looking back at Vince. "And FYI, you don't impress me. You could try being nicer; maybe then I'd take you up on that offer. Till then, ciao." She even tilted her head a little to convey her snark.

Vince scoffed and signaled his group to follow him away. Rachel shook her head and rolled her eyes, then turned to the kid. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he answered, picking up his books and pushing his glasses back into position. "Thanks. Who are you?"

"Rachel Starr. You?" she asked, extending a hand. She only realized after doing so that might not be able to shake it, but he adjusted his grip on the books, balancing them in one arm as he shook her hand with his now free one.

"Raphael Esquival, but my friends call me Raf. Thanks for the help with Vince," he said. "Sorry you missed the bus."

She looked to the now empty spot on the road. She knew that was what would happen – not that it changed her mind about helping – but still groaned as it sunk in. "Great. How am I getting home now?"

"You could, uh, wait for your parents," Raf suggested.

"Um..." She'd never actually come up with a good lie for this one. It was gonna have to be convincing and on the spot, two things she didn't do well with. "They, uh, don't get home until much later. I, um… I-I usually just take the bus home and…have the house to myself. All afternoon. With no way to call them. Cause I… don't have a phone?" She wished that last bit didn't sound so much like a question.

"Oh," he said, seemingly not noticing how lackluster and patched together that explanation was. "Well...um...maybe I could- oh! Hey, Jack!" he cut off, waving to someone behind her. Both the other friend - Jack, apparently - and Miko came out. Miko waved enthusiastically, despite not being the one called to. They both jogged over. "Jack, Miko, this is Rachel Starr. She, um..." he looked for a way to say it that didn't sound embarrassing.

"I got Vince off his back," she explained, hopefully well.

"Thanks," Jack said, looking from Raf to her. She noticed how blue his eyes were, and then berated herself for thinking of so odd a fact.

"Yeah. Usually, I'd be here to stomp on his foot, but, y'know. Had to talk myself out of detention," Miko explained nonchalantly. Rachel couldn't help but snort at that, both because of how true it was and how casually the exchange student had said it.

"It was no big deal," Rachel replied with a shrug. "I was happy to help. The only issue is, uh..." She put her hand on her neck, rubbing it and looking toward the clouds for a moment. "Well, I missed the bus."

"Jack, maybe you could give her a ride?" Miko suggested, and immediately, Rachel knew there was something strange going on. Raf was picked up by a yellow muscle car every day, and Miko by a green SUV. Both, presumably, had lots of space and open seats. Yet they were suggesting she ride with Jack, who she had only just met and rode a motorcycle?

They were hiding something.

Okay, maybe she was being paranoid, but after what happened last month, she was perfectly justified in being paranoid. After all, she'd been hunted by people she trusted and considered her friends, her Master had been killed, and she'd been chased into unknown space. The Unexplored Regions. It was the only place the clones wouldn't follow her. She'd arrived on-planet alone, scared, injured…

She put the past back where it belonged, dragging herself back to the conversation. Jack, Miko, and Raf had retreated to the cars, maybe talking to those inside. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts as the three walked over again. "I'd be happy to give you a ride, if you want," Jack said as he walked up. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Only if it doesn't complicate things," she replied. "I don't want to be a burden."

"No, no, it's fine," Jack insisted. "I mean, it's a long walk back, and there won't be another bus. It's really no trouble, and it's the least I can do to thank you for helping Raf."

"Alright, then," she conceded with a smile. "I've never ridden on a motorcycle before."

It wasn't hard. All she had to do was just hang on tightly to Jack. At first, she was a little uncomfortable with the position, but comfort went out the window when Jack took off down the road. She gave a small yelp and hung on tighter. It was like riding the outside of a starfighter. Eventually, she became more comfortable, once she decided she wasn't about to die. She tried not to think about the death grip she must've been using as they jetted off.

It was fun. The wind in her hair made her feel free. She pointed when Jack looked back to silently ask 'Which way?' The slight rush of thrill and panic when she let go with one hand was enjoyable. It was almost like she was on the battlefield again, backflipping over battle droids, that split second of vulnerability, despite knowing they wouldn't be able to hit her. It was the same rush. It made her miss home.

The Jedi Temple.

Her Master.

Her troopers.

The _Defiant_ , her flagship.

But those were all gone. So much for sleeping tonight.

Jack dropped her off at her front door. "Thanks so much for the ride home. It was awesome," she thanked, turning around, hoisting her backpack over her shoulder. She resisted tucking her long hair behind her ear, like she usually did when slightly nervous.

"I enjoyed giving you a ride, too," Jack replied. She blinked in surprise once or twice, and he ducked his head a little. "There's not a good way to salvage that, is there?" She giggled.

"No, but I get what you mean. See you tomorrow, Jack," she answered. She took a step back, toward her door. "It was really nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," he called as she walked in and closed the door. She couldn't help placing an ear to the door and listening, just out of curiosity. "'I enjoyed giving you a ride, too'? Oh, why me?" She giggled, and she heard someone else chuckle as well. She froze and listened.

The voice was female, older, mature. "Relax, Jack," she said. Rachel dropped her bag and rushed to the window, peeking through the thick curtains. Jack was resting his elbows on the handles, and his head in his hands. The motorcycle's gauges lit up in time with the voice. "She got it." It was _talking_.

"That doesn't mean it wasn't still awkward," he replied. "I'm never gonna get a date..."

"So you like her," the other voice teased.

"No!" he protested, much too quickly to be true. "Yes," he amended after a moment. "I don't know. Maybe? Sorta? Not so fast, though. She's nice." The motorcycle chuckled again.

"Mm-hmm."

"Arcee..." he whined. The engine started up, and she retreated to behind the door again. Once the engine faded away, she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She hadn't been on Earth that long, but she knew cars, trucks, motorcycles, stuff like that...

They were _not_ supposed to talk.

So what was it?

She decided to do some research. She walked through her house to the computer in the study. Technically, the house wasn't hers. It belonged to some rich guy out in another state called Ohio who bought a vacation house here – why anyone would by a vacation house in _Jasper_ , she couldn't understand – and never used it. She made a deal with him that, in exchange for her stay there, she would take care of it. It was a good deal. The owner payed for electricity, water, gas, etc. She had a nice job at the town library that payed for food, clothes, and other stuff.

She sat down at the computer and typed in 'talking motorcycle.' She came up with two dozen pages of conspiracy theories, including a story about a large alien spotted at some kind of shipping container center, or docks, or something like that. She didn't pay it much attention.

She also didn't find anything specific about the motorcycle, but everything she did find said aliens or US government projects. Knowing what she knew about the universe, she figured it was the former.

Which meant she was not alone in being from off-world.

* * *

Meanwhile, light-years away, a flagship loomed near the edge of the Unexplored Region. On its bridge was a Mirial woman, dressed in black armor, a silver, circular object with a bar through it strapped to her back. The bridge commander walked up to her. "We are ready to launch," he informed. A smirk played on her lips. The Jedi hiding within the uncharted confines of the Region would not stay hidden for long.

"Thank you, Commander," she replied. She strode off the bridge and down to where her ship was located, within the hangar. She boarded the small, one-man fighter, and took off, sailing out of the hangar bay. She directed it beyond the border and focused on the faint, Force-sensitive presence somewhere within.


	2. Revealed

It had been a week since the bike ride with Jack and the subsequent mystery that arose. Rachel had gotten closer to the whole trio. She and Jack, as it turned out, shared a lot of classes; she and Miko shared gym, which was both interesting and entertaining, because Miko turned out to be good friends with most of the athletic types; and she and Raf shared lunch period, which she enjoyed because he was a kid genius and the things he wanted to build were light years ahead of most of the stuff she'd seen. Still, there was some secret they were all keeping, because the three had maybe one class together, so how did they all become such good friends?

She'd not gotten a ride of her own yet - no money for a car or motorcycle, no driver's license even if she _had_ the money, and no bicycle - and was still taking the bus home. However, when leaving school on the first Monday after meeting the trio - a full week after the ride - she saw two purple cars waiting out front. Her steps slowed. She sensed something off about the cars. Something sentient.

Something evil.

Waiting outside the cars were two identical people. Caucasian men wearing suits and shades. They looked like federal agents. They saw her, and walked over. She kept her sow, cautious pace until they blocked her way. Was she in trouble? Was the guy she was renting from in trouble? Or were these guys related to the cars? "Ms. Starr?" the first man asked.

"Who's asking?" she replied, crossing her arms and going on defense.

"We're agents with the FBI," the second man answered. Their voices sounded strangely similar. "We need you to come with us."

"Why?" she asked, taking a half step back.

"We believe you have information pertinent to an investigation into a student in your class named Jackson Darby," the first man answered. Her eyes went wide for a moment. Were these guys really FBI, and if so, was this about Jack's talking motorcycle?

"Lemme see your badges," she ordered. The men looked at each other, then took a threatening step toward her. She stepped back. "You guys aren't FBI," she accused. They made a move for her, but she jumped back and passed them on the outside. She dashed for a kid who was getting on his bicycle, intending on borrowing it, but never got there.

The door to one of the cars opened _on its own_ and some kind of tentacle from inside grabbed her. She screamed as loudly as she could, hoping to draw attention, but the 'FBI agents' blocked everyone else's view. There was murmuring, but no-one moved to help., either because they didn't know her, were too far away, or the scene itself was so strange and they looked like federal agents. The tentacle drew her in and placed her in the passenger side seat. The first 'agent' got in and closed the door. By then, the seatbelt - also moving of its own accord - locked her in the passenger seat. It wouldn't budge, and neither did the car door lock, handle, or window.

"Commander Starscream," the 'agent' spoke to no-one in the car - but she had been a Jedi and knew what a comlink was - "we have the girl."

"Excellent," a voice dripping with malice and cunning filled the car. "Bring her back to me."

"Let me go!" she protested. Always a fighter, she pulled her legs up and started kicking the console, and the resulting winces and cries of pain told her what she already suspected: This car, like Jack's motorcycle, was alive. "Let me go right now!"

"Cut that out!" the car shouted. She didn't stop kicking. She also started trying to swipe at the guy, which failed in a way she never expected.

Her hand went straight through him.

The shock momentarily stopped her from further attacking her kidnapper, but that shock quickly wore off. He was a hologram. That explained why they hadn't just grabbed her, and instead the car itself had. This also meant he couldn't strike her. The seatbelt did tighten, but she continued to kick the console until the other car chimed in. "One of the Autobots is following us." She didn't care what an Autobot was - only that it distracted her kidnapper enough that the seatbelt loosened. Rachel grabbed the steering wheel and turned the car, taking it off the freeway, down the off ramp, off the road, and into the desert. "What are you doing?!"

"The slaggin' human's grabbed my wheel!" her kidnapper shouted back, trying to wrench the wheel from her control. She was too strong, though, and she was using the Force to help her keep her grip. The seatbelt tightened, but she fought against it and the pain, and kept control.

That's when she saw Jack - on his bike - heading straight for them, head on. At the last second, Jack bailed out, and the bike _transformed_.

It went from a motorcycle to a small, female robot. The robot quickly took a fighting stance, and the other car pulled off to intercept her. _Now's my chance!_ Rachel thought. She threw the wheel to the left with all the strength she had, turning the car so sharply that it rolled over.

The interior of the car changed. It transformed as well. The seatbelt disappeared, and she was inside some space, likely within the robot's chest. She still had her backpack, and thus, the one thing she never left home without:

Her lightsaber.

She dug through her backpack, trying to keep steady as the fight went on outside. The robot she was in got knocked to the ground, changing the floor to the wall, and making it extremely difficult for her to do much of anything.

Her hand closed around a small, cylindrical object, and she knew she'd found what she'd looked for. There was virtually no light inside the chamber, but she didn't need it. She'd had years of practice and knew exactly where the power button was on the silver and gold weapon.

She activated it, and the whole chamber was bathed in the blue glow of the deadly weapon. She closed her backpack, slung it over her back, and then located the weak spot of the chamber and cut a hole. The robot howled in pain, and as the opening appeared, she saw that he was holding a hand to his chest, in front of the hole she'd just made.

She promptly stabbed the hand, causing it to pull away, and she jumped.

She hit the ground and rolled, lightsaber deactivating as she did so, so as not to cut herself. Her normal movement was hampered by the backpack, but despite the many bruises she sustained from her off-kilter somersault. She immediately shot to her feet, located a stunned Jack Darby, and sprinted toward him, not looking back until she slid next him, like a baseball player sliding into home.

The robot she'd cut through was out of the fight, still holding a stabbed hand to his chest as some kind of glowing, electric blue fluid leaked from both wounds. Jack's bike was taking down the first one, shooting it in the head and killing it. She then put the other one out of its misery.

Rachel shrunk down as the robot spotted them. "She's not gonna kill me, right?" she asked Jack, who was still staring at her in shock.

"No, she's one of the good guys," he answered as the robot approached. She knelt down to the two humans.

"Are you two alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, Arcee, we're okay," Jack answered. He turned to Rachel, who found some courage and stood tall. "Arcee, this is Rachel Starr. Rachel, this is Arcee, my guardian. She's an Autobot."

"Nice to meet you," Rachel said in as straight a voice as she could manage. Honestly, she was still a little freaked. Battle droids and tanks, that was one thing. This? This was something totally different.

"Nice to formally meet you too," Arcee said. She transformed back into a bike. "I think we should go talk to Optimus about this."

"M-me too?" Rachel stammered. Karabast, why couldn't she be brave?

"Especially you," Arcee replied. She got on, held on to Jack, and Arcee drove off toward the road leading further into the desert.

* * *

The Jedi had been smart enough up until now, but then she'd used the Force. That made it so much easier for her to be located.

The sinister looking, sleek, dark ship now headed toward the third planet in an unnamed system. The planet sustained life, but this life was primitive. No space stations, only satellites orbiting the planet.

Inquisitors were not feared here. They were not known here. She would have to keep cover and hunt for the Jedi using ancient techniques. No probes, no informants, no Imperial network.

The corners of her lips turned upward in an absolutely predatory smile. _This_ would be fun.


	3. Introductions

Rachel clung to Jack as the motorcycle drove down the beat up, almost forgotten Nevada road. She was a little too busy wondering about exactly how big the Unexplored Regions were if not one, but _two_ different planets and a whole different species could be hidden in amongst it. How much else was out there? How big were the Regions, really? How many of the sentient vehicles were on-planet? How many other species were here?

She was pulled out of her contemplative state by Jack talking to her. "Don't jump off." She had to double check she heard that right before responding.

"What?!" she shouted. How crazy did he think she was? Although... In fairness, she _did_ use her lightsaber in front of him, jumped from a height that would injure most humans, and sprinted straight toward him. So maybe his thoughts were justified.

"It's gonna look like we're driving straight into the rocks, but there's a door." he informed. Oh. Yeah, she probably wouldn't have anyway. Maybe. "Just...don't jump off." She nodded, then realized he couldn't see her.

"Got it!" she replied. The motorcycle- _Arcee. Her name is Arcee._ Arcee drove off the road, and like Jack had said, straight toward the rock structure. Rachel could sense several beings inside, but wasn't in tune with the Force enough to precisely sense who or what they were. She probably couldn't even get into Jack's head if she wanted to.

She unconsciously braced herself for the impact that never came, years of training overriding what Jack had told her. Instead, a motion activated door opened up, and Arcee drove into a corridor. It looked more like a tunnel. It was paved, lit, and there were guardrails along the sides of the road. It was not, however, built for two-way traffic. "Whoa..." she breathed. It echoed slightly in the curved tunnel.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "And if you think this is cool, wait till you see the main room." Which they drove into a moment later. There were four others, all much taller than the- _Arcee._ _When am I gonna get this right?_ Four others, all much taller than _Arcee_ , and of various vehicle designs, stood around the room.

Arcee stopped, and both Jack and Rachel got off. All eyes were on them now. Arcee transformed behind them, and Rachel turned to look. "Hey, Rach!" Miko shouted. Rachel turned around again, quickly finding the energetic Japanese transfer student. She was jumping up and down on a platform, waving. Rachel waved back, a small chuckle escaping despite her nervousness.

The tallest of the robots walked over. His presence was authoritative and calming, and there was an air of almost regality about him. This was the leader. He knelt down to her. She couldn't stop her curiosity. "Who are you?"

"We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron," he answered. "Autobots, for short. My name is Optimus Prime." She resisted bowing, but did dip her head a slight bit, out of respect. And, if she was being honest, which she had to be, habit.

"I'm Rachel Starr," she replied, biting off the 'Padawan learner of Master Chi', as it wasn't…right anymore. "Why are you here?"

"To protect your planet from the Decepticons," Optimus answered, standing up. She nodded contemplatively.

"The ones who attacked me?" she asked, looking to confirm a suspicion.

"Affirmative," he answered. The thought briefly crossed her mind that he sounded a lot like Commander Rocky. She forced it away.

"So, the term 'Autobot' is a faction name, not a species designation," she mused. It was only after she received a couple strange looks that she realized she'd thought aloud. She unconsciously ducked her head a bit, and didn't bother trying to hide it.

"How'd you know that?" the red and white one asked. He was probably the medic.

"Lucky guess," Rachel replied, trying to cover the slip-up. Jack, however, crossed his arms with a smile.

"I don't think you're from around here," he said. If there was any chance to recover, it was pretty much lost with the wide eyes and shocked expression. And it wasn't a 'preposterous and outlandish suggestion' kind of shocked look. It was a 'busted' one.

"You're from outer space?" Miko asked excitedly. Well, it was more like shouting.

"Uh..." Rachel stuttered. How was she supposed to fix this? "Y-yeah. Kinda."

"But you're human," Raf pointed out. She hadn't even realized the boy was there. But that solved _that_ mystery: they knew each other because their rides were robotic alien guardians.

"Yeah. There are a lot of humans up there. A lot of other species, too," she caved, giving up on damage control.

"So, did they leave Earth, or did some of them come here?" Miko asked. "If they came here, why don't we all know about it? That would be in history books, right? If some left, why don't the rest of us know about it? Were they abducted? Are all those stories about Martians and flying saucers true? Are some of them little green men? Are-"

"Miko!" Jack cut in. "Give her a chance to answer."

"Why are _you_ here?" Raf asked. Rachel looked to the ground.

"Because..." She sighed deeply. "Because I'm hiding."

"From who?" the bulky, green one asked.

"The Empire. I- okay, this is gonna be a really long explanation. This planet - Earth - is in a region of the galaxy that's termed by the rest of the explored galaxy as the Unexplored Regions. Nobody who's ever come in here has ever made it back out. There was some speculation about it, but my theory is that it's a lot bigger here than they all think."

"How big is it?" Miko asked.

"No clue. Like I said, it's the _Unexplored_ Regions. The rest of the galaxy, outside the Region, is - was - immersed in war. The Separatists - a coalition of planets - broke away from the Republic and declared war, with a Sith Lord, Count Dooku, as their leader. In response to their massive droid armies, the Republic created clones. They were trained to be soldiers from the moment they could think."

The red and white one scoffed. "I'd assume the war is still at a stalemate."

"No, actually, and that's why I'm hiding here," Rachel corrected.

"What's a Sith?" Raf asked. Rachel thought for a moment.

"Someone like Hitler, or Stalin. Someone who has access to a special power - the Force - and uses it for evil," she answered. "The Jedi, of whom I was a part, are people who use that power to protect others." They nodded, and she continued.

"The leader of the Republic, Chancellor Palpatine, turned out to be a Sith in disguise. He trained Count Dooku. He was effectively running both sides of the war." And with that revelation, it was really no wonder the war dragged on as long as it had. "When Dooku was killed, Palpatine tricked and turned a powerful Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, and moved to take control of the whole thing. He ended the war by ordering the Separatists to shut down their droid armies, and activating a dormant protocol inside the clones' minds." Her hands curled into fists and her shoulders tensed up.

"What was the protocol?" Jack asked, although she could hear in his voice that he already knew it wasn't good.

"Order 66," she replied, gritting it out through clenched teeth. She allowed herself one moment of anger, which was then replaced by sadness. "They were to kill every Jedi. We lost almost everyone. I lost my mentor, Master Chi. I escaped from the clones, took my starfighter, and fled to the Unexplored Regions. I don't think they'll follow me. Not out past where they can receive orders."

The room was silent for a long moment, as she reflected on what had happened, and the others took in the story. "I am deeply sorry for your loss," Optimus finally said, drawing her attention to him.

"Thank you," she replied quietly. "So, what's your guys story? And why are the Decepticons here?"

"I regret to say, because of us," Optimus answered. "Our world, Cybertron, was also plunged into war. It lasted eons, until our planet was drained of power and life. We ejected a powerful artifact, the AllSpark, into space, to keep it out of the Decepticons' hands."

"Once the AllSpark was ejected, the core darkened," the medic continued. "Our planet could no longer sustain life, and we were forced to leave in order to find Energon, the lifeblood of our race."

"We sought refuge here, on this isolated planet far beyond the reach of Megatron," Optimus added.

"At least, that's what we thought," the green one said. "Megatron caught wind of our message to the other 'Bots, and Starscream followed us here."

"Earth has become the battleground for the War, which still continues," Optimus finished. Rachel nodded.

"I assume the government knows you guys are here?" she asked.

"Agent Fowler, our government liaison, managed to get us this abandoned military missile silo. It is now both our base, and our home." Optimus answered.

"So...you guys all know my name, but I don't know most of yours," Rachel said, changing the subject.

"This is our medical officer, Ratchet," the red and white one nodded, "Bulkhead," the green one stepped forward, "and our scout, Bumblebee." The yellow and black one waved, and Rachel waved back. "You have already met Arcee." Rachel and Arcee both nodded.

" **It's a pleasure to meet you,** " Bumblebee said. He spoke through beeps and whirrs, though. _Likely something wrong with his voice,_ Rachel thought.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," she replied.

"Wait, you can understand him?" Raf asked. Rachel nodded.

"Where I come from, there are a lot of droids, and not all of them speak Basic. English!" she corrected herself. "Sorry. I'm still trying to get used to the terminology here."

"How long have you been here?" Jack asked.

"About a month now," she answered.

"Who's going to be her guardian?" Arcee asked. "We don't have anyone to spare."

"Guardian?" Rachel asked, looking between Optimus and Arcee.

"The Decepticons know of your involvement with us, and they will target you," Optimus explained.

"Oh. Well..." she started, but trailed off, thinking. While the 'Bots discussed the situation, Rachel pondered the options, finally coming up with one and just blurting it out.

"I only live a block away from Jack. I can pretty much take care of myself, but if I need a guardian, Arcee could keep a loose eye on me."

"It makes sense. We can pick her up and drop her off, she already knows me, and she does live only a block away," Jack supported the idea. Jack smiled, and she smiled as well. She _really_ hoped she wasn't blushing.

The 'Bots looked between each other, obviously trying to determine if this was a good course of action. "She _can_ take care of herself. She pretty much took a Vehicon out on her own," Arcee pointed out.

"When?" Ratchet asked, baffled.

"One of them tried to kidnap me, and when it transformed to fight Arcee, I ended up in this chamber inside its chest. I cut a hole through the chamber and escaped," Rachel answered.

"Cut a hole with what?" Bulkhead asked. Rachel took the silver and gold lightsaber off her belt, and activated it. The sapphire blue blade sprang up, lighting the area around her.

"This. It's a lightsaber. It can cut through pretty much anything, except a few rare metals probably not found on Earth, and another lightsaber blade. Younglings - those are Force-sensitive kids who are taken to the Jedi Temple," she ignored the twinge of sadness as she said this, "and trained before they're chosen as Padawans - are trained in lightsaber combat around 6 years of age," she explained.

"What determines who can and can't be a Jedi?" Jack asked.

"Well, some individuals are Force-sensitive," Rachel replied. "They can sense things before they happen, move things with their mind, read others' minds, and sometimes calm animals. Those are the basic skills. Anything else has to be learned."

"So I might be a Jedi?" Miko asked excitedly. Jack shot Rachel a semi-panicked look, and that told Rachel all she needed to know regarding what her answer should be.

"No. I'd have sensed it. Sorry," she replied.

"Your plan seems to be the best one we can think of," Optimus changed the subject, the conversation regarding her suggestion obviously over.

"Okay," she said. It wasn't like she had anything else to say.

"Welcome to Omega Base," Jack said. She smiled.

* * *

The Padawan was foolish.

She'd been careful up until recently, and then the mistakes flowed. She used the Force, dropped her mental guard, and was no longer actively hiding her presence. "Lack of use has made her skills rusty," the Mirialan murmured, despite being alone. "Or perhaps she's just overconfident."

She was now able to both pinpoint the girl's location, and sense her thoughts. The Padawan didn't even know her mind was being invaded. She'd sought refuge with a group called the Autobots. Useful information for tracking her down.

As she approached the uncharted planet, the ship's scanners picked up another alien ship, high within the planet's atmosphere. They picked up her signal too. "Incoming ship, identify yourself," a voice came over the comm system. She would've just ignored it, if not for a voice in the back of her mind.

 _These are the Autobots' enemies._

"I wish to speak with your leader. I have a proposal for him," she stated, then promptly terminating the conversation by deactivating her comm system. She guided her Interceptor down to the flight deck of the ship. There was a contingent of tall robotic figures waiting to shoot her down.

"Fools," she hissed. But as her thumb went over the torpedo trigger, another figure appeared, and the faceless foot soldiers lowered their weapons. The guns that she had thought were permanent fixtures on their arms transformed into actual arms, with hands and fingers. "Most intriguing," she murmured as she landed.

They weren't impressed with her size. Then again, most people weren't. Their first mistake. "State your business and leave, fleshling," the one in charge said. His voice was whiny and grating. She wouldn't enjoy speaking with him.

"Are you the captain of this warship?" she demanded.

"No, but Lord Megatron is far too busy with his own matters to deal with you," he snapped. She smirked, quirking an eyebrow.

"The only one I will speak to is 'Lord' Megatron," she replied. "Take me to him."

"And _why_ , pray tell, would _he_ want to speak to the likes of _you_?' the slender, winged robot sneered.

"I have a deal for him. One that concerns your enemies, the Autobots." Now he stiffened up. "Take me to him."

He turned around, and she followed him into the warship, the smirk never leaving her face.

"What is it, Starscream?" the hulking, gunmetal gray brute asked when the winged robot entered the bridge. This 'Starscream' was far shorter and much less armored than his apparent commander.

"Lord Megatron, there is someone here who claims to have a deal to strike with you. She says it concerns the Autobots," Starscream answered. The disgust was barely kept out of his voice, and she could tell.

Megatron turned around, and immediately, she was hit with a wave of the Dark Side. It seemed to radiate from the robot. The sheer power was almost overwhelming. It fueled her. "What could a human possibly have to offer me?" he asked. His voice was low and threatening, but she was not threatened. She could obliterate everyone in the room if need be.

"She's not human," Starscream added. It sounded dangerously close to a correction, though, and thus earned a glare from the leader. Starscream shrunk back. _He's a coward,_ she thought to herself, _but he's cunning._

"I am from beyond your region of space, from a part of the galaxy you have yet to explore, Lord Megatron," she started. She bowed low, in an attempt to earn his favor. "I am searching for a fugitive. Someone my Master has assigned me to kill. I have tracked this fugitive to this planet, and have stumbled across a piece of information beneficial to us both."

"Which would be?" Megatron asked. He sounded only slightly less skeptical than earlier, but he was listening. And as long as he was listening, she could persuade him to help her get anything she wanted.

"My fugitive, Rachel Starr, has taken refuge with your enemies, the Autobots. This girl will undoubtedly know where their base is. Help me capture her, and I will get the location out of her. You get the base, I get the girl," she offered.

"What assurances do I have that you won't just kill her on sight?" he asked, still skeptical. The tone was only slightly threatening, and that was more for intimidation. It was likely a tone that he always used whenever speaking.

"I will bring her to your ship for the interrogation. You may monitor me the whole way through. If I do not return, well, I have no way off the planet. My ship stays here, with you, until the job is done. Is that fair, my lord?" she asked. She now looked up, and saw the smirk that must've mirrored her own when she'd approached.

"Very well," he replied. "What is your name?"

"Among my colleagues, I am known as the Second Sister. My name, however, is Barriss Offee."


	4. Capture

**A/N: You guys, OMG, I'm so sorry I'm late for this chapter. I got distracted by Minecraft (again). But (obviously) it's up today, so... Happy Thanksgiving!**

 _Rachel got pushed to the ground by her attacker. Her lightsaber was out of reach, lost early in the fight. Her attacker stood over her, black armor gleaming in the Saharan moonlight. She laughed cruelly, and brought her blood red saber down for the final blow._

 _Rachel's hand hit something metal buried beneath the dunes, and she pulled it out, recognizing the design of the metal and pressing the button on the side. She brought the new saber up to block what would've been a killing blow, and both women were taken off guard by the color of Rachel's found saber._

 _It was jet black, with a white edge. A Darksaber._

Rachel sat straight up in bed, panting after her latest nightmare. Although, the vivid detail told it her it was more a vision than a nightmare. She sighed and ran a hand down her face. Not like she could do anything about either possibility; most of the time, knowing the future meant one tried to change it, and ended up altering it to _get_ that scenario. Her tactic was to just continue on with her daily routine, taking it as an advisory notice which she'd file away for a later date. She threw the covers off and walked to the bathroom.

She turned on the sink and splashed cold water on her face, waking herself up. It didn't work as well as she'd have liked it to. When she looked up in the mirror, she saw another figure behind her. Olive colored skin, black armor, and a sinister grin.

She shouted in surprise, grabbing the mouthwash bottle she had on the sink-top and whirled around, coming face to face with thin air. She blinked a few times, slowly working out that her mind was playing tricks on her, replaying the Inquisitor from her dream. She groaned. "I must be losing my mind..." Her phone rang, and she went to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey Rachel." It was Jack Darby. "Arcee got called for a mission today."

"It's Wednesday," she pointed out. "And 3 in the morning. What are you doing awake?"

"It's not 3 in Brazil, evil never sleeps, and 'Cee didn't want me to wake up and flip out 'cause she was gone," Jack answered. "Anyway, my mom's gonna drive us to school."

"Okay. Call me about 20 minutes before you get here, and I'll be ready at the door," Rachel said. "Night." She hung up, sighing. The image of the figure still flashed behind her closed eyes. Every nerve was on alert. The Force was screaming at her. Something was very wrong, but she couldn't put a finger on it. Maybe it had something to do with the Inquisitor? Was she here? No, Rachel would've sensed it.

Then again, her ability to use the Force diminished after... _it_ happened. So maybe not.

She flopped back onto the bed and tried to get some sleep.

The call came at 7:20, and Rachel was up, dressed, packed, and ready by the time the car pulled up. Jack was dialing her number just as the door opened. She walked out and to the car. Jack leaned over and opened the door for her. "Thanks," she said. "Thank you for the ride, Ms. Darby," she added as she put on the seatbelt.

"You're welcome," June replied. "Couldn't leave you stranded at home." Rachel glanced at Jack, silently asking if she knew. He gave her a nod, which was much more discreet than he'd been intending; she could tell by his pleased expression when he turned away. "So, what secret agent conversation is going on back there?" June asked.

Rachel looked a little shocked at getting caught. "Just discussing whether or not you know," Jack answered. June chuckled.

"Yes. It took getting kidnapped to find out, but yes," June replied. Rachel nodded, then looked at her shoes. She really had nothing to talk about. "How long have you been here?"

"I think about two months now," Rachel answered. How was she supposed to explain? Or had Jack already done so? There were no further questions about Rachel's family and how they afforded so nice a house, so maybe she already knew. "How long have you been here?"

"15 years," June replied. "We moved here when Jack was a year old, after I applied to work at the hospital in town and got accepted. Until then, we lived in Denver, Colorado."

"Is it nice there?" Rachel asked. She'd seen nothing but this town for two months, the inside of a ship for a whole one before that. She longed to see trees, feel cool spring water, hear birds sing, and smell the forest air. Or maybe something that reminded her of Coruscant, or the Temple.

She briefly wondered if the Temple was still standing before wrenching herself back to the conversation upon realizing June was replying. "...city, but I don't mind it very much. The parks were nice, though." Rachel nodded.

"Maybe I'll get to visit sometime," Rachel said. That's when she noticed the two identical cars gaining on them.

Two identical purple and red cars.

Decepticons.

"Jack..." Rachel whispered before looking back out the back window. Jack turned to look before Rachel could tell him not to, and they were made. The cars - 'Cons - sped up. "Ms. Darby?"

"Yes? What _are_ those cars doing?" June asked. Rachel opened her mouth, but the nurse had already put two and two together and realized they were in trouble. "Jack, call the Autobots." Jack pulled out his cellphone and started doing so. Rachel bit her lip before seeing blasters raising from the hoods and sides of the 'Cons. "Jack?" June asked, starting to panic.

The lessons her Master taught her snapped through her mind. They couldn't fight and couldn't flee - Ms. Darby was a nurse, not a stunt driver. They needed something for the 'Cons to shoot at that wouldn't damage the car, or kill them or anyone else.

Rachel saw the sunroof and came up with a plan.

She unbuckled her seatbelt. "What-" June began to ask, but Rachel had to cut her off.

"Open the sunroof; I can buy us some time," Rachel ordered.

"Now, wait a second. You're a teenager," June started.

"I can fight, and I can distract, and right now, we need to get off the streets without being shot or getting anyone else shot!" Rachel pointed out. She pulled her lightsaber out of the backpack and stood up through the now open sunroof.

Judging by the protests Ms. Darby was still giving, Jack had opened it.

The wind tore at her, taking her hair and throwing it in her face. She squinted as it got in her eyes. It wasn't like she could tuck it behind her ears, so she dealt with it. It was just a small portion on either side of her face. It'd be fine. The 'Cons aimed at her, and she ignited her lightsaber. The sapphire blade sprung to life, and it made her their target.

The blasts were high powered and large, but she had no problem deflecting them. The real issue was balance. The car was going 40, 50 miles an hour, around turns, and she was standing facing the back. She couldn't even lean to either side because she didn't know which side to lean to.

Jack got off the phone with the 'Bots, and was able to warn her. "Rachel, duck!" So she turned off her lightsaber as she dropped back into the car, just as they went under a low bridge.

This gave the 'Cons the opportunity they needed, and they shot at the tires. They didn't hit the tire, but they did destroy the road just before it as the car went around a turn. June somehow managed to keep the car from flipping, but not from spinning out. It slid to a stop beneath another Decepticon.

He was thin, with spindly legs. Gray and dark gray with occasional spots of red. A smirk that spoke of obnoxious self-confidence and a pompous attitude. He aimed a rocket at the car, a long, skeletal-like finger extended and pointing at them. Possibly a trigger of some sort. "Out," he ordered, and the three were forced to comply.

He nodded to the Decepticon cars. "Get in." June did so immediately, Jack followed. Rachel stood her ground the longest, but as he started to curl his finger, she followed the other two, getting in the same car, or at least trying to. The car doors shut, locking Jack and June in, and her out. The other car still had its doors open, and she didn't like this at all. She reluctantly got in. The seatbelt came down over her and locked her down. The doors locked, sealing her in.

The third, unique Decepticon transformed into a fighter jet and took off, flying low to the ground. The cars followed it. She heard him speak over the comm. "Commander Starscream to Lord Megatron. I have the prisoners."

"Excellent, Starscream," a voice replied. Likely Megatron himself. Rachel instinctively knew that Megatron was _dangerous_ , and not nearly as self-obsessed as Starscream was. He was in charge, and likely a major issue. "Bring them to the bridge."

"Of course, my liege," Starscream purred. Rachel rolled her eyes. A swirling green vortex opened up 50 feet in front of them, and Starscream flew through it. The cars did as well. They were immediately on what Rachel assumed to be the bridge.

The cars released their prisoners before transforming and standing off to the side, acting as guards should the prisoners escape. Starscream had already transformed and was standing in front of them, off to the side. Directly in front of them, looking at them with a malicious smile, was Megatron himself. "Welcome. We've been expecting you." The warlord seemed surrounded by the Dark Side, yet wasn't Force-sensitive. Trying to focus too much on it – him – made her feel dizzy, so she stopped trying to figure it out, simply categorizing it as 'bad news' and leaving it there.

Rachel was in front, placing herself between the civilians and the biggest threat in the room, which was undoubtedly Megatron. It was an unconscious action, one borne of years on the battlefield. Jack and June stood side by side behind her, the latter being rather unhappy with Rachel being in front of her, but allowing it since she'd gathered by now that Rachel wasn't all she seemed. "Why are we here?" Rachel demanded, trying to sound confident and maybe a bit threatening. No sense using diplomacy on those who don't want it.

She looked without appearing to, taking stock of the bridge. Mostly faceless drones, like the kind that had kidnapped her. There was one other unique Decepticon on the bridge, one taller and skinnier than Starscream with a mask for a face. Computers lining the walls, all active. Glass front, out of which she could see clouds. A set of ship controls at the end of the walkway.

"A mutually beneficial agreement between myself and an...acquaintance of yours, one who is currently distracting your protector in Brazil, I believe. Where matters not. What _does_ matter is that you are trapped here, on my ship, to await her arrival," Megatron answered, delight dripping from his words.

Rachel's heart dropped to her shoes, but she refused to let it show. If this acquaintance was who Rachel suspected, she wasn't going to survive this. Neither, she suspected, were the Darbys. That gave her a reason to go on, to keep fighting. _Not for me, but for others in need._ She learned that exact phrase from her Master, and she wished so desperately that he was there to guide her.

"Until her arrival, you three will be confined to the brig. Starscream, escort our prisoners there, and _don't lose them_ ," Megatron growled. Starscream visibly shrank - which was what Megatron wanted - and led the three humans to the brig.

Rachel watched as the Darbys were herded into a cell next to hers and put under armed guard before she was assigned the same fate. She couldn't see them, couldn't hear them, couldn't talk to them. The room was meant for those much bigger than her, and yet was plain.

Except the chains hanging from the ceiling, but she ignored those.

She was trapped, perfectly so, and had no method of escape, nor hope of rescue.

She decided she didn't like Wednesdays.

* * *

Meanwhile, something deep within the sands of the Sahara began to stir. A monster that laid dormant for centuries awakened for the first time, despite slipping back into unconsciousness moments later.

It didn't matter, though. It had awoken...

And it would not slumber much longer.


	5. Escape

After stewing in captivity and mulling over her predicament, Rachel Starr decided to actually do something about it. She examined the cell top to bottom, going over every inch with a sharp gaze (and a little Force assistance), and came up with only one plausible way out of there: The hole in the ceiling where the chains were.

After checking for cameras and seeing there was one, she realized her captors must've been put on edge, and calmed down. She stood, doing nothing, and looking rather awkward. She knew she couldn't just stand there the whole time, but to make a move now would mean taking a risk on whether or not they were watching her. So she decided to do something she hadn't done since well before leaving her other life behind: meditate. She sat down in the center of the room, cross-legged, hands resting in her lap. She closed her eyes and connected with the Force.

She reached out across the stars, looking for anyone left. There was so much suffering...so much pain and loss. The holes where there had once been thousands of Jedi were so...noticeable. It was as if someone had shot holes through a target. What was once and should've been there wasn't anymore.

She felt so cold.

And angry.

And hurt.

The range of emotions was nearly overwhelming as she reached out and tried to find someone, _anyone_ she knew or knew about. Even those members on the Council, those who had once shined bright as beacons in the – then growing, now enveloping – darkness, were missing. They were all dead and gone.

Except...

 _"Far you have come, young one."_

Her eyes fluttered open as her concentration broke from shock. "Master Yoda?" The connection started to slip, and she closed her eyes again, trying to get it back, mentally reaching out for the small tendrils of light and familiarity. _"Master Yoda?"_

 _"A long way you are from home, Padawan,"_ he answered. A smile spread across her face. He _was_ alive, and that meant there was still hope.

 _"Yes, Master. Forgive me, I panicked and ran,"_ she replied, tilting her head in shame and biting her lip in nervousness.

 _"A right choice, you have made. Need you more, this world does, than the Jedi do,"_ he answered.

 _"No, Master! The Jedi need me! They need everyone they can get to defeat the Sith! And you're still with us; we can still salvage this,"_ Rachel protested. She heard a small hum, and her heart twisted, because she could see his head shaking.

 _"Over is the era of the Jedi. Hide, we must, to survive. A hope, there is, but not yet ready,"_ Yoda informed. _"If help you want to, let them know where you are, you must. Rally them. Safe, that planet is. Hidden. Protected. There, the Jedi can hide until the time is right."_

No, no, no. This was all wrong! He was supposed to say that she should reach out and tell the Jedi to arm, to rally to Yoda for another push against the one behind the rebellion of the clones. After all, it wasn't like the Jedi couldn't fight. They _were_ just in a war.

 _"Patience, young one,"_ Yoda chided gently, sensing her thoughts. _"Defeated, we have been. Another fight, pointless it would be. Survival is what matters now, yes."_

In her heart, she knew he was right.

 _"Yes, Master,"_ she replied. _"I understand now."_ Kinda. She was still upset. _"What do I do?"_

 _"Let go. A fresh start, you have. Use it wisely. A Jedi you will always be, but the Jedi are no longer."_ She nodded _"An ally turned enemy, hunting you she is. Escape, you must, before find you, she does. Your plan, good it is. Use it. Forget not who you are, Rachel Starr."_

 _"Yes, Master Yoda,"_ she answered. The connection slipped away. She had a feeling she wouldn't get it back. And somehow, that was okay, because she had a new mission now. "I promise I'll make you proud," she whispered.

She looked up at the camera, and using the Force, slowly pushed it so it was facing the door. She then stood and jumped toward the chains, grabbing them and climbing up them to the vents above. She swung from the chain to the side of the vent wall, then jumped off each wall, making upward progress with each jump, until she came to the proper vent system. Nice and flat. She snuck through the unusually large vents and got to the cell next to hers, where Jack and June Darby were being held.

She slowly lowered herself, holding onto the ledge with only one hand, barely giving her a view of the camera. She used the Force and turned it toward the door. Once it was firmly pointed away from them, she whispered. "Jack!"

They both looked up. "Rachel!" Jack exclaimed quietly. "How-"

"Vents. Get beneath me, and try not to move too much," Rachel replied. They both did as she said, and she used the Force, reaching out to Jack as he slowly started to rise.

"Whoa-oa!" Jack exclaimed as he was lifted toward Rachel.

"Jack!" his mother exclaimed at nearly the same time. Jack was looking around, but at least he wasn't flailing. It was always so much harder when they flailed.

She slowly lifted him to the ledge, gently lowering him once he was safely in the vent. He sighed, and she let go. She ignored the fatigue in her arm as she began to do the same with Ms. Darby.

Halfway through, she heard footsteps outside the door. She increased the speed with which she lifted June, and once she was safely over firm ground, she let go.

Of Ms. Darby intentionally. Of the ledge? Not so intentional.

Thankfully, Jack was quick, and he grabbed her arm, almost going down with the sudden weight. He stayed firm, though, and the door opened. "What?!" Starscream shouted. 'Shrieked' was more accurate. "Where are the humans?!" he demanded.

Jack pulled her up, and they got away from the opening, travelling through the vents until they passed over another cell. Inside, she sensed someone. She stopped. Jack and June noticed, and Jack called to her. "Come on, they already know we're missing."

"Hang on," Rachel murmured. She approached the opening into the cell they were above. Inside was another Cybertronian, sitting on the floor, head in his hands. He was red, white, and blue, and had an Autobot insignia on his chest. She waved the other two over, and they saw him. While Jack and June looked at each other, Rachel called to him. "Psst!" He looked up and saw them. He stood, and the camera shifted toward the vent. "Whoops." Rachel Force-crushed it. "We just got made."

"How?" June asked.

"The camera saw him look up at us, and then _it_ looked at us," Rachel answered. She looked at how big he was, and deciding he wouldn't fit in the vent, she hopped down to him. Jack reached her reasoning quickly, and with some hesitation, jumped down. She used the Force to catch him.

"Who are you?" the Autobot asked. June was more hesitant than Jack, but must've trusted Rachel to catch her, because she jumped as well. Rachel caught her just as easily as she caught Jack, and set her down just as gently. "And how are you doing that?"

"I'm Rachel Starr, and these are Jack and June Darby," she answered, gesturing to each of them. "We're friends of the Autobots." At this, the 'Bot perked up.

"They're here? And still alive? How many? Which ones?" he asked rapid-fire. There were footsteps in the hall. "Questions for later, then. Do you have a plan of escape?"

"It mostly involves attacking," Rachel replied, and she read his expression as she did so. He was clearly a pacifist, but would defend himself when needed. The door opened, and Rachel pulled out her lightsaber and ignited it.

Even _battle droids_ were smart enough to relieve her of her lightsaber whenever she was captured, and battle droids were really dumb.

She deflected the shots back at the Vehicons and they crumpled to the ground. Starscream was behind them, but before he could fire off a shot, she Force-pushed him unto the opposite hallway wall with enough force to knock him out. "Ta-da," she said, deactivating her lightsaber.

"Excellent work," The 'Bot praised. Jack took off down the hall, and the others quickly followed.

"They're here, they're alive, five of 'em, and I'll tell you next time we have a place to stop," Jack answered the questions almost as rapid-fire as the 'Bot had asked them.

"Who are you?" June asked. Rachel pulled up to just behind Jack. "How'd you get here?"

"My name is Skyfire, and I received a transmission from Optimus Prime, telling all Autobots to gather here, on Earth. I was captured almost immediately upon arrival, so I assumed the message was a trap," he answered. Jack turned a corner, and there were three Vehicons there.

Skyfire's reaction time was impressively fast. His arms transformed into blasters - small ones, which wasn't surprising - and he took out the three 'Cons. "Nice shot," Jack said. Skyfire only nodded.

"We need a map of the place; we've got to get out of here," Rachel said. Skyfire approached a computer terminal and tapped a few keys.

"According to this, we're near the flight deck. We could get out that way," he informed.

"I don't think they have any ships there," June said. "Most of these guys can fly."

"So can I," Skyfire replied, almost grimly. "Follow me," he ordered. So they did.

They made it to the flight deck with relatively little contact with others. Rachel actually through it was going to be easy. And then they saw the mini-army of flying Vehicons – she was sure they had a different name – waiting at the flight deck. "How are we gonna get past them all?" Jack asked. Rachel went over the options in her mind. Jack and June were civilians and couldn't fight. Skyfire was a pacifist and didn't want to fight. That left Rachel, the only one who could and had no problem with it.

Against 30 two-story tall armed, trained attackers? Yeah, no.

"We'll need a distraction," Rachel said. "I'll draw them away. Skyfire, get them out of here and wait for me as long as you can, but if it's escape without me or recapture, go."

"We're not leaving you here," June said sternly.

"You won't be. Trust me, Ms. Darby, I think I know what I'm doing," Rachel said. She left the small group hiding in the shadows – effectively cutting off any further opportunity for protest – and went to the door. She kicked it, and they opened it. "Hiya!"

They started shooting at her, and her saber was a blur as she activated it and began deflecting shots and slicing limbs. She held her position for a few minutes, and was able to because while the door was wide, they couldn't all get to her. It was a funnel, and they were forced to press against each other to get to a position where they might be able to shoot her. When she began to back up, she drew them away from the door, and then broke position and ran away. They pursued, chasing her down the hallway. She cut the lights, and they flickered for a moment or two.

She took to the shadows, and they all ran straight past her, still looking for her. She smirked.

She waited till they were all out of sight, and then slowly emerged. She saw Skyfire transform to his jet mode and let the Darbys board. She ran down the hall back toward him, trying to be stealthy.

She failed when another ship approached and landed. She sprinted to him, leaving behind any trace of stealth to get to him and boarding. The other ship hovered there as he took off. She put her saber back on her hilt and grabbed onto the frame as they took off at breakneck speed.

"Whoo-hoo! We did it!" Jack cheered. June hugged him, and Rachel smiled. That had gone surprisingly well.

That's when the shot hit Skyfire.


	6. Awakening

**A/N: Okay, so, firstly, I screwed up. I naively expected the line-breaks to transfer over from the file to the website document (if that makes any sense), and it didn't. Whoops. My bad, sorry. Secondly, there are only 2 chapters left! And I feel that this story is doing well enough to try a series (yay!) but I don't actually have a whole bunch of ideas (not yay!). So I need your guys' help. If you have anyone you wanna see, a story or plot idea, or even just a scene suggestion, please comment or PM me! (Seriously, I need the help)**

* * *

The first alarm bell went off in Optimus' processor when Miko texted Bulkhead during school. It was something the teen didn't normally do, despite having voiced multiple times her dislike for school. The second was when Raf did the same. Both had asked where Jack was. While normally he would've had Arcee check on him, Arcee was off on a mission. The third one activated when she returned with several unusual wounds inflicted by a weapon that she described as similar to Rachel's, but with a black hilt and a red blade made of what appeared to be pure energy.

He had ordered Ratchet to attempt to track Jack's cellphone. Ratchet came up empty, which was bad news.

Then Skyfire's signal had come up, flying at high speed off what must've been the cloaked Decepticon warship. There were three human life signs onboard: Jack, June, and Rachel.

And then, just because nothing could go right for long, Skyfire took a nosedive, indicating he'd been shot, most likely by the alien ship in pursuit of them. "Ratchet," Optimus said, "lock onto those coordinates and open a GroundBridge."

* * *

Barriss' smile widened as the shot connected with the Autobot and sent them down toward the planet's surface. The Padawan was foolish enough to use the Force to aid her escape, but hanging out the boarding ramp? Was the girl completely idiotic?

No, she couldn't have been, because she'd evaded the Inquisitor this long, and of course she would have to possess a great degree of intelligence for that. But this game of cat and mouse had gone on for long enough. She shouldn't have ever allowed the Decepticons to handle it.

Morons.

She directed her ship and followed the falling Cybertronian to the surface.

Rachel knew what crashing was, and there was no way Skyfire could salvage this. He was barely even awake. Rachel rushed to the cockpit and took the controls. "Strap in!" she shouted. They did so, and she got it- got _him_ nose up. She guided him toward the sandy ground beneath as well as she could - she was no pilot – while ignoring the blaring alarms going off, as well as the chatter going on around her. She needed total concentration.

She was able to get him into something of a decent landing position, despite there not actually being a 'landing position' or runway. The landing itself was rough, and even if they'd had landing gear, it would've done no good. They sunk into the sand as the slid to a halt. At least it cushioned the blow. She groaned as she turned to look. "You guys alright?' she asked, a little worried about how out-of-it she sounded.

"Ugh..." Jack groaned. June sat up and unclipped from the seat, moving to examine Jack's head wound. "Mom?" he asked blearily.

"Hold still, Jack," she said. "Mild concussion," she concluded after a moment. "Is there a way to call the Autobots?" A sharp, mechanical whine outside and a burst of warm air indicated a ship had set down near them, likely the one that shot them down.

Rachel marched out and saw the ramp lowering. There was a cresting wave of the Dark Side, surrounding them small group and clouding Rachel's senses. The Inquisitor herself stepped out, and Rachel was visibly shocked to see it was Barriss Offee.

Everyone knew about the Padawan who'd bombed the Temple. Rachel had even worked with her a time or two, but had never actually formally met the Padawan. She was also slightly surprised to see that it was the same person she'd seen the phantom of in the bathroom just that morning. _Has it really only been that long?_

It was nighttime now, or getting close to it. The sun hadn't set completely, but the full moon was already out and shining down on them. It reflected off the sand, lighting up the area with such brilliance that it was easy to see her opponent. Barriss smirked and pulled the double-blade lightsaber off her back, igniting it. The blood red blade lit the black armor she was wearing. Rachel pulled hers and did the same. Her sapphire blue blade light enveloped her, giving her confidence. There were three things Rachel had to do.

One: She had to get Barriss' attention off the others and firmly on her, no matter what. Two: She had to lure her away from them so if she did lose Barriss' interest, she'd have time to recover. Three: She had to keep the others alive long enough to the Autobots to find them. And she knew they would; she could sense it.

"Do you fear me, _Jedi_?" Barriss said, spitting the last word at her like an insult.

"No," Rachel answered, standing tall. Barriss frowned, and then charged with a battle cry. Rachel blocked the first blow, and was slightly shocked and disheartened by how strong it was. She blocked the second blow, stepping back to absorb it. The third blow knocked her back further.

Barriss smiled, and Rachel started actually fighting. She parried the next blow, and followed it up with one of her own. "That's the spirit!" Barriss taunted. Rachel swung again, aiming for the Inquisitor's knees, then her shoulders, then her waist. Varying the target site and thus, forcing her to defend everything. The Inquisitor had little problem with this, telling Rachel that Barriss had leaned other forms of lightsaber combat. Rachel herself practiced Forms III and IV, and had a fair handle on the battle, to a point.

Barriss had a whole lot of energy, a whole lot of training, and a strong connection to the Dark Side, and maybe that was what drew _it_ out.

The ground began to shift and move just as Rachel started to lose. The sand started to fall away, as if something was opening beneath them. Rachel tried to stay ahead of the hole opening up. She failed to, but it stopped expanding after she fell through, which meant while she was trapped down there with Barriss, the others weren't.

With two goals secured, she could focus on fighting. She regrouped and attacked Barriss again, this time with a new energy.

Light was now virtually nonexistent, so their lightsabers provided the only illumination, thus hindering their visibility. Sapphire blue crossed blood red, and the area was bathed in purple that somehow unnerved her as much as it intrigued her. She forced the feeling away as she struggled to find the serenity she was supposed to have as a Padawan. Barriss forced her further back as she tried this, and she almost got cut twice.

 _"In a fight, do not think about what methods you will use, nor about staying calm and collected. Your focus must be on the battle. Fight as_ you _would fight, not as a manual tells you. That is how you win."_

Her Master's voice echoed in her head, a memory from an early training session coming back to her. She backflipped away and collected herself. _Three questions,_ she thought. _Who am I fighting, what is my goal, and how do I achieve it?_ She was fighting Barriss Offee, a failed Jedi Padawan; she needed to delay the Inquisitor for long enough for the Autobots to arrive and force her surrender; and she had to outfight or manipulate the woman into a situation where she had the advantage.

Once her focus shifted from meditation and serenity to actually fighting her way, she made progress much more easily. She forced Barriss back to the only ray of moonlight that managed to filter through, needing the advantage of seeing her opponent while staying shrouded in shadow. The Inquisitor brought her lightsaber down some kind of pedestal, and the whole area lit up with a deep orange glow, coming from lights under the many columns that were now visible.

Any advantage Rachel might've had with stealth in darkness was now lost completely. The fight gained new life now that they could see each other and weren't just looking for lightsabers and the glint of light on clothes or armor. It went back and forth now, with both gaining and giving ground as they travelled around the room.

Barriss was talented and skilled, but Rachel was determined and cunning. Barriss managed to nearly take off Rachel's hand with a lucky swing, but Rachel dropped and rolled away just in time. Rachel got to her feet and jumped up on one of the columns, trying to get the high ground. Barriss did the same. The two ended up close enough that their lightsabers could touch, but not touch each other.

It was a stalemate for a bit as they tried to put enough momentum into the swings to get the other to lose balance and fall. It was a careful act, an exercise in judging distance as much as it was balance. Barriss finally had enough and dived for Rachel's column, slicing it in two about three feet down from the top, and sending Rachel to the floor with a surprised shout.

The Padawan hit the ground hard, and rolled to absorb what she could and keep moving. Barriss approached her, and Rachel got to her feet, wincing when she put pressure on her left ankle.

It was twisted.

Which meant it would recover, but she was gonna have to fight like crazy in _one_ spot for it to get a chance to. That was a major weakness, and one she could ill afford against such a powerful opponent. Barriss smirked and charged again. Rachel stood her ground until the ground started to move.

And shift.

And crack.

With a giant beast taking its place.

It rose, and the long limb she was on twisted and she was forced to deactivate her lightsaber to get a good enough grip to hang on as it went vertical and took to the air. "Whoa-oa!" she exclaimed. Barriss also shouted as she had to do the same. As it rose, Rachel realized what it was:

A Zillo Beast. On _Earth_. How were they supposed to defeat this?

* * *

The black and purple femme stealthily climbed out of the revealed cavernous room. She smirked as the beast rose from the very ground beneath the two fighting humans. Yes, their weapons were new, and yes, one was not a human, but they were still squishy and fleshy and oh-so-breakable. Besides, she'd gotten chatter that the blonde was Arcee's new partner. Another pet for the two-wheeler. Killing her would be a special treat. Her long extra legs carried her as she crawled along the wall and toward the two humans.

"Oh, Arcee, when _will_ you stop being so careless?" the spider asked, though the blue Autobot wasn't around. "Guess I'll just have to keep your dear friend company."


	7. Battle

**A/N: Second to last chapter! And, I have a few replies to the reviews I've gotten.**

 **Gabriel: I'm so glad you're back! And yes, I will definitely use that idea (though, I may end up doing so research on Revan, because I've only watched the movies, Clone Wars, and two seasons of Rebels. Oh, and the Jedi Apprentice series. Yeah).**

 **CT7567Rules: There won't just be a sequel, there'll be a SERIES. But I still need episode ideas. ...yeah. And no, this is in no way related to the Avengers story I'm doing (I promise I'm still working on that BraveSeeker3!), which will be a story in its own right. But if you have any ideas for episodes/plotlines/characters in the series, feel free to comment or PM me! (Yes, at this point, I'm desperate. Yes, I'm shameless enough to ask/suggest/beg.)**

 **As for everyone else, thanks so much for the reads, follows, and favorites! They really mean a lot.**

 **Now, without further ado, the (hopefully) climactic battle!**

* * *

The Zillo rose high into the night sky, and Rachel did everything she could to hang on. Barriss shouted in frustration and pulled her lightsaber out, slicing at the beast. It roared and bucked, knocking Rachel off. She pulled her lightsaber and tried to stab it, just to get a grip, something to hang onto so she didn't fall back 5 stories into the hole she just got carried out of. It bucked again, possibly in response to the noise, and her lightsaber was lost to the sands of the Sahara. She began to fall.

Then she heard what sounded like engines. Starfighters. No, jets; Decepticon jets. She twisted and hit the wing of one of them, grabbing on and clinging to it for dear life as its flight pattern became erratic and unpredictable as it tried to shake her off. She did not let go, despite the dull ache in her shoulder where she hit the jet.

When he took her closer to the ground, she prepped for bailout which came early as he started to rise again. She released her grip and braced for the impact. She hit the sand a little less hard than she predicted, but it still hurt. Badly. Like, 'no immediate use of left arm' badly.

Which was bad.

The Decepticons were there, Barriss was chasing her, she had two civilians and a pacifist to take care of, and the Autobots were nowhere to be seen. She was about to lose heart, when a swirling green vortex opened up not too far from her position. More Decepticons? Arcee raced out, followed by Bumblebee and Bulkhead. _Oh, thank goodness._

Now that the Decepticons had something to worry about, she could focus on Barriss, who'd finally lost her perch on the Zillo Beast. The Beast, who was both very confused and _very_ angry, reared up with and ear-splitting roar. Rachel covered her ears instinctually and still winced at the sound. Jack had finally recovered enough that his mother was trying to escort him off of Skyfire and toward the vortex. He must've caught sight of her, because he exclaimed. "Rachel, look out!" She whirled around just in time to see Barriss, with a predatory snarl affixed on her face, bring her saber down for a killing blow.

She jumped out of the way, falling to the sand and then trying to scramble as far away from the Inquisitor as she could. Barriss brought down blow after blow, missing each time by only a hair, and only because Rachel managed to move just enough to avoid being killed. She finally rolled out of the way enough to get some room to do something, and she shot to her feet, ignoring the pain that accompanied it. She swung at Barriss a few times, throwing punches that couldn't have hit her target if she'd tried.

She got pushed to the ground by her attacker. Her lightsaber was _still_ well out of reach. Her attacker stood over her, black armor gleaming in the Saharan moonlight. She laughed cruelly, and brought her blood red saber down for the final blow.

Rachel's hand hit something metal buried beneath the dunes, and she pulled it out, recognizing the design of the metal and pressing the button on the side. She brought the new saber up to block what would've been a killing blow, and both women were taken off guard by the color of Rachel's found saber.

It was jet black, with a white edge. A Darksaber.

 _I remember this._

Rachel managed to gather her wits enough to start fighting again. Taking advantage of Barriss' momentary surprise and distraction, she got her saber between Barriss' saber and body and swiped at her.

It was the Inquisitor's turn to give ground.

The fight took on a new ferocity as they traded blows, parrying and blocking and attacking while the rest of the battle raged around them. The Decepticon drones were trying to handle the Zillo Beast while Optimus and Megatron dueled. The other 'Bots were helping Skyfire or dealing with the Decepticon lackeys. Rachel figured they had it well under control, until she saw a black, shadowy figure slink toward where Arcee was owning the Vehicons.

It was that second-long lapse in concentration that allowed Barriss to strike.

Rachel felt the searing pain on her arm, and moved to avoid it getting chopped off completely. It left her with quite a cut - cauterized, thank goodness - and the most major disadvantage she could think of, because that was her right hand, and she was right-handed. Her cry of pain echoed across the battlefield, and all eyes went to them. To her. And then to the teen who stepped between Rachel and Barriss, wielding a weapon he had no idea how to use. _Jack!_

He started swinging at Barriss, who played along for a little stepping back and luring him in. Rachel wasn't sure what to do, because she couldn't pull Jack out and she couldn't advise him. In the middle of a battle with an enemy who wasn't hesitant to take your head off wasn't the best place to learn how to fight.

She looked at the Darksaber, and where the idea came from, she had no idea. She grabbed it and opened herself to the Force, establishing a strong connection before reaching out to Jack. _Parry now!_ she mentally commanded, and after a moment's hesitation, he followed the order.

Barriss was no longer smiling.

* * *

Arcee barely noticed the shadow moving at the edge of her vision, but it was a shadow that was forever etched into her processor, so of course she turned to look, and she saw who she thought she'd see.

Airachnid.

The spider-bot smirked as she made optic contact with Arcee, and the two-wheeler growled and charged her.

Airachnid fired several web shots at Arcee, a couple hitting unfortunate Vehicon troopers behind her. None connected with Arcee, who skillfully evaded the webs while returning shots herself, which Airachnid evaded just as skillfully, making this a hands-on fight.

Once she got close enough, Arcee switched from blasters to swords and started slicing at the femme, only for Airachnid to back off. "Arcee, when _will_ you learn?" she chided, drawing another cry of rage from Arcee when the 'Bot charged at her again. Airachnid retreated, and Arcee, missing her target, almost ended up in another hole.

Airachnid transformed and took off, and Arcee followed, tailing the helicopter from below. It was only when she caught sight of what appeared to be ruins on the horizon did she almost stop.

Airachnid was drawing her away from the battle intentionally. There was little hesitation as Arcee decided she was going to let her.

* * *

The two attacked almost as one, with her being primary and Jack backup and assistance as she fed the orders where and when to attack. Rachel and Jack made an effective team. Barriss wasn't used to handling an attack from two people, even if one wasn't well-trained. Rachel decided to taunt the Sith. "What's the matter, Barriss? Can't handle a native and a Padawan?"

Barriss let out a cry of rage and directed a vicious swing at Jack, who immediately blanched. Rachel could hardly blame him, and in fact, she was counting on him _not_ to strike.

She owed Mrs. Darby a huge apology when this was over.

Rachel jumped between Jack and Barriss, blocking the blow. Then she leapt and did a flying roundhouse kick, hitting Barriss in the face. She used the spinning momentum to slash at the Inquisitor's shoulder, leaving a sizable gash in her armor. She stopped the spin as she came around the backside, and swung at Barriss' exposed back.

The Mirilian blocked the blow - somehow - and then blocked Jack's next blow. The woman may have had a double-bladed lightsaber, but she could barely keep up with the dual attackers now. The struggle had a visible effect, coloring her face with frustration, concentration, and determination.

Rachel almost felt bad for her. What had happened to the promising young Padawan?

No time to think about it now, because Barriss was kicking it into high-gear again, hoping to push the two away. Rachel recognized it as a sign of fatigue. She fed Jack all the moves he needed to make: blocking, striking, parrying, evading. If they could make this stand, keep their ground, they could wear her out and win. Now, what that would look like, she didn't know, but she knew they needed to incapacitate Barriss for Jack to be safe.

The fight took on a new energy as Jack and Rachel held their ground and Barriss fought desperately to make them move.

* * *

Arcee had no trouble tracking the spider-bot. It was easy, but it wasn't _too_ easy. Almost enough to give her pause, but she'd come that far, and Airachnid was _right there_. She couldn't give up now.

The tunnels she was working her way through shifted direction a while back, and the faint, muffled sound of blaster fire confirmed what Arcee already suspected: The tunnels led back toward the fight. They might even come out in that hole the monster had crawled out of. "Welcome to my lair, Arcee!" Airachnid exclaimed triumphantly as Arcee entered another corridor-like room. "I'm sure you'll find it comfortable!" There were webs everywhere, and she'd lost sight of Airachnid. Now she paused. Keep going and risk getting caught without any hope of backup whatsoever, or give up now, so tantalizingly close to finishing it?

She proceeded with extreme caution.

The webs were easy to swipe, cut, or shoot away, but every time she did so, she knew she was giving away her position. "I thought you were more careful, my dear Arcee. Then again...you've never been able to resist a chance at revenge on me. Especially after what I did to poor Tailgate."

 _Do not respond. Do not respond. Do not respond._

"Maybe I'll let Jack see what I've done with you right before I tear his miserable head off."

 _Do. Not. Respond._

"Or maybe I'll kill his mother and girlfriend in front of him and you both first."

"Over my dead body!" Arcee shouted, finding the Airachnid's position just after saying that and firing, hitting one of the femme's spider legs and knocking her down. Arcee cut through the webs, rapidly making her way to where the now-injured Airachnid was. The spider-'Con caught sight of the approaching Autobot and ran, fleeing for a spacious room flooded with moonlight. The hole. Arcee had been right about the location.

Airachnid was in the middle of the room, perfectly vulnerable. Arcee switched to blasters and began firing at the femme, hitting her twice more, eliciting cries of pain both times. She was _right there_ , and if Arcee hadn't had to move, Airachnid would've been sent to the AllSpark.

But the Vehicons, for their lack of decent weaponry and competence, managed to force the Beast back into its hole. Airachnid, if not crushed, was cut off from Arcee completely. The minute sound of skittering confirmed that while Arcee's shots had been damaging, and the Beast's trajectory nigh unavoidable, the femme was still alive.

 _Curse you, Airachnid! Curse you to the Pit!_

Thank Primus she'd had enough restraint to not _actually_ say it.

At least she was close to the fight now.

* * *

The Zillo Beast had been knocked back into the hole it'd burst out of, and that had distracted them all. Jack recovered first, and swung at Barriss' lightsaber hilt, slicing it in half. Rachel kicked the Inquisitor in the knee, sending her sprawling into the sand, before she and Jack simultaneously brought their saber close enough to Barriss' hand to prompt her into picking one of them to block, dooming her anyway. She swung at Jack's saber, and Rachel cut the top off the now halved saber Barriss was using. The two teens leveled their lightsabers at the surprised Mirilian, who dropped her now useless weapon.

"How?" she asked no-one in particular.

"You picked the wrong side," Rachel replied with a half-smirk. Barriss sneered at her and Force-pushed them both back. They lost their grip on the lightsabers, and Barriss used the Force to grab the Darksaber.

It was an instinctual reaction.

Rachel Force-pushed Barriss backwards, and the Inquisitor went straight over the edge of the hole, wind-milling and screaming as she went. There was a barely discernable, dull _thud_ and sickening _crack_ as the woman hit the bottom. Rachel scrambled to her feet and looked over the edge. She locked eyes with Barriss for a moment. _Forgive me...you were a truer Jedi than I,_ Barriss communicated via the Force. Rachel nodded, though it was unlikely Barriss could see it.

 _I forgive you, Barriss Offee, Padawan learner of the Jedi Order._ She could never be sure, since it was so far down and so dark, but she thought she saw Barriss smile before she went completely limp and Rachel could no longer sense her. She hung her head for a moment, and the Zillo Beast's angry roar yanked her back to reality. One problem down, one to go. How to kill/stop/put back to sleep a ticked off Zillo Beast without whatever trick the Jedi used last time.

Great.

She noticed Optimus and Megatron fighting on a different part of the field, and thought they usually singled each other out. Made sense; it was what Jedi always did with Sith...and wannabe lightsaber-wielding cyborg freakazoids.

The Zillo began to climb out of its hole again, but was having trouble getting up over the lip. She moved back quickly, dragging Jack with her as it found them and swiped at them.

That was when Megatron fired, missed Optimus, and hit the Zillo Beast. And it _recoiled._

"It's poison," she realized.

"What?" Jack asked. Rachel whirled around and looked at him.

"Go find as many Autobots as you can and tell them to draw Megatron's fire! Have them make his direct it toward the Zillo Beast!" she ordered. She took off, but Jack grabbed her hand, stopping her. She ceased movement immediately, not understanding why. She turned around and saw him looking right into her with those cobalt blue eyes that she felt like she knew so well. He pressed her lightsaber into her hand. "Good luck." She nodded and managed a small smile before taking off at a dead sprint.

She headed toward the Beast, slashing at it with her lightsaber and drawing its attention. It looked at her and tried to step on her. She rolled out of the way, ignoring all the pain responses that went with it. She spotted Jack gathering any Autobots he could and explaining the plan.

She began to climb the Beast.

A handhold here, a foothold there, a more or less horizontal portion she could run up, until she got to its head. She looked for any openings or gaps in the armor, and was dismayed that there were none. It would have to be a direct shot to the mouth. That was gonna be difficult.

She deactivated her lightsaber and tried to steady herself on the gigantic Beast, which was quite a task in of itself. She managed - barely - and waited as everyone got in position. All as one, the Autobots who were in on the plan - Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and surprisingly, even Skyfire - fired at Megatron.

The enraged warlord knocked Optimus to the side and began firing back. They moved in front of the Zillo, and Rachel crouched down and placed a hand on its head, using the Force and directing its head toward the ground. The Beast went down and caught one, two, three shots to the mouth. It bucked and reared, moaning. It nearly threw Rachel off, but she jammed her fingers between the armor plating and held firm. "Again!" she shouted, and 'Bots fired at Megatron once more.

Optimus must've realized what she was doing, because he ordered the remaining Autobots to follow suit. Megatron was more than happy to continue shooting, until he realized all of his shots were missing the 'Bots, and hitting the creature.

Rachel's eyes widened as she realized he knew. But, unlike she was anticipating, he didn't just stop firing. He transformed and flew at her, firing over and over again. Firing at the Zillo, and now her. She ducked as he fired, then flew overhead.

The Zillo Beast started to fall, eyes rolling into the back of its head as it did so. She jumped off, slicing as she did so. Instead of hitting the sand like she thought she would, she hit a pair of slim, metal hands. Arcee had caught her. She smiled thankfully at the Autobot. Arcee set her down gently as the vortex opened again. "Let's go home," she said. The group, battle-worn and a few worse for wear, walked through the vortex, back to the Autobot base.

Back home.


	8. Summons

Rachel would've preferred to let the Darbys handle the conversation alone. But seeing as her arm had a nice gash and her ankle was slightly sprained - not twisted like she'd thought - and she'd only barely managed to not get a dislocated shoulder and broken arm, she let the nurse handle patching her up.

Which gave her a front row seat to Jack learning how displeased his mother was with him running headfirst into danger with a weapon he didn't know how to use while avoiding a giant monster trying to decimate everything and the alien robots fighting around it. He sheepishly stood there and listened, and only spoke up when asked why.

"Rachel would've been killed, and she's my friend. I knew I could do something, so...I did." Rachel went wide-eyed and made the mistake of actually looking up from scrutinizing her boots and locked gazes with Jack. She smiled, and he smiled, and _then_ she blushed. She went back to looking at her boots.

June shook her head slightly, but she was smiling, so Rachel could tell she wasn't so upset anymore. Which meant that yes, her blush had been _very_ visible. She finished wrapping Rachel's arm. "Okay, you're done. Keep it clean, change the bandages daily, and call me if it gets worse."

"Yes, ma'am," Rachel replied. She looked at the expertly wrapped wound, examining it. Mrs. Darby was efficient. That was when she realized Jack was still there. "Hi."

"Hi," he replied. He shifted from one foot to the other, a sign of nervousness. She let her fingers interlock and pull apart, a sign of her own nervousness. "Um...th-thanks. For the fighting tips, I mean. How'd you do that, anyway?"

"I used the Force to communicate with you telepathically. Yes, I can do that without you being Force-sensitive," she answered the question before he could ask it. "Thanks for the assistance. I don't think I would've made it out of there without your help."

"You're welcome," he replied. "I was happy to. You're nice. I, uh..." he trailed off, blushing a bit. "I-I should go. Mom probably wants to talk to me. Some more."

Rachel nodded. "Okay." He started to walk away, but she felt she needed to add something. "Jack?" He stopped and turned to look at her. "I'm glad I got on the bike with you."

"Me too," he said with a smile. She smiled back, and he walked away. She looked at the wrapping, then at her bag on the floor. How had it gotten there? Probably one of the 'Bots. She didn't really care, though. Not enough to think about it. She opened the small, almost secret zipper pocket in front and pulled out a small holo-recorder.

She examined the device, contemplating if she should use it. Earth was safe. Small, out of the way, protected, unknown to the Empire. Others might come to ascertain the fate of Barriss Offee, but she'd likely had no contact with the outside. They might never know what ultimately happened to her.

She decided it was worth the risk, and any lectures she got later. She pressed the button, placed it on the table, and stepped back. The lights on the side activated, showing her it was recording.

"This is addressed to any remaining Jedi. My name is Padawan Rachel Starr. I have found a planet, a sanctuary, a haven away from the prying eyes and hunters of the Empire. This planet, called Earth and located at the provided coordinates, is small. Their space travel is limited, and their contact with the Empire is virtually nonexistent. I invite all of us that are left. Earth is defended. Protected, through in the midst of a war hidden from most of those who live here. I have taken refuge with the Autobots, a group engaged in the war and one I trust with my life. I can be contacted with the comm channel provided. I will help those who come to me, but if you wish to simply start over, that's fine as well. What matters is that we have a place to go now. Somewhere hidden. Somewhere safe. I am here, waiting. May the Force be with us." She ended the message.

After reviewing it, she sent it out, sitting back and reflecting. She couldn't sense anyone else out there, but she knew they _must_ be there. She couldn't have been the only one. She looked out to the main room, where the rest of them were. Her new human friends and her Autobot allies.

This was home now. For her and anyone else who might come.

 **A/N: And that's the last chapter! Thanks for all the reads and comments! The episode/storyline/plot/character request is still open, and will be for the foreseeable future. See you guys later!**


End file.
